Keeping Cool At The Zoo!
1st Sep 2021
Our Animals have found unique ways of beating the heatwave with a little help from their dedicated Keepers.
As a treat, our animals have been given flavoured ice lollies, each tailored to their species favourite food. The Bactrian camels, now free of their winter fibre coats, enjoy a smashed sweet potato flavour. Whereas our gibbons are treated to a yummy banana flavour.
“Our gibbons typically have a healthy fruit free diet, so it is a wonderful treat to give them during the recent heatwave. Staying healthy, each ice lolly has one teaspoon of mashed banana, using bamboo sticks for handles.” Said Keeper Jo Thrower.
“We do our best to cater the flavour to each species. The primates have also been offered frozen whole vegetables to help keep them cool during these high temperatures.” She continued.
Other animals have been enjoying showers across the zoo, from African elephants with their built in showers to our Giraffe, emus and ostriches loving a good soak on their sections of the zoo.
“Ostriches actually tolerate high temperatures of up to 40°C so they will happily handle a British heatwave. In high temperatures, they can be seen to be gular fluttering and feather fluffing to cool down. However, they do still enjoy a cooling shower with the hot weather.” said Keeper Jayne Gibbons.
Despite the extreme heat, our animals have definitely enjoyed their cooling down experiences, no matter what they entailed!
